April 4, 2024
Dear Coppell ISD Families and Staff,
It’s hard to believe we will soon be wrapping up another school year, as this year has flown by! I am proud of this district, our amazing students, wonderful families and incredible staff. We cannot do what we do in CISD without all of YOU.
Over the last several months, I have been following the news and visiting with colleagues in our neighboring school districts who are dealing with similar budgetary challenges as our district. North Texas school districts and districts across the state have been announcing major budget shortfalls and subsequent cuts as a result of the Texas Legislature not passing legislation allocating the available $3.99 billion designated for public schools out of the $33 billion the state has in surplus.
Our students, teachers and staff, and families deserve better. As we plan for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond, we grapple with increasing inflation, the loss of federal ESSER funds, and the impact of unfunded or partially funded mandates from the last legislative session. Additionally, elementary enrollment is declining.
More information about our budget challenges will be shared at our Budget Community Dialogue tonight starting at 6 p.m. in the Commons/Cafeteria at Coppell High School. In addition to sharing information, this evening will be another opportunity for our community to provide feedback on our budget planning process. Details on our budget planning process can be found at www.coppellisd.com/budget.
Your feedback is instrumental in our ongoing commitment to engagement and collaboration in our budgeting process. We hope you will be able to attend tonight’s event. If you are unable to make it tonight, then you are more than welcome to send us your feedback at input@coppellisd.com We will also have a Budget Workshop on Monday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the CISD Vonita White Administration Building, located at 200 S. Denton Tap Road.
To be clear, this is a big challenge, and CISD has embarked on a multiyear approach. I believe that by working together, we will face these challenges with a focus on educational excellence and the spirit of relationships and engagement that makes us a destination school district.
Thank you for your continued support of CISD.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brad Hunt